Control cable cutter



Jan. 26, 1965 H. D. ENG 3,167,047

CONTROL CABLE GUTTER Filed Dec. 26. 1961 ZSheQtS-Sheet l HENRY D. ENG

IN V EN TOR.

A T TORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 26. 1961 y Qn HENRY D. ENG

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,167,647 CNTRL CABLE CUTTER Henry D.Eng, Pine Grove Mills, Pa., assigner, by mesne assignments, to theUnited States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyFiled Dec. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 162,301 3 Claims. (Cl. 114-20) Thisinvention relates to cutting devices and, in more particular, to cuttingdevices adapted to cut cable and the like.

In the modern naval torpedo arts, torpedoes are, at times, placed in thetorpedo launching tube and connected by electrical cable to an outsidecontrol panel. By means of the cable Warm-up currents, lire controlsignals and the like are transmitted to the torpedos internal tirecontrol mechanism up until the actual moment of tiring. There arises anecessity, therefore, to disconnect or sever the transmitting cable,frequently called the umbilical cable, from the torpedo shortly beforeor at the instant of tiring. The severing of this cable must beinstantaneous upon the pressing of the tire control button, and mustleave no protrusion upon the surface of the torpedo which would interferwith its passage through the Water. If the cable is properly severed,the hydrodynamic prole of the torpedo is not destroyed and it proceedsthrough the water at very high speeds without incumbrance.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cutting devicewhich will operate instantaneously upon a signal to completely sever acable attached to a torpedo.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cutting device whichwill sever an attachment to a torpedo in such a way that there will beno interference with the hydrodynamic profile of the torpedo.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a cutting devicehaving a free floating easily actuated cutting blade.

In its preferred form, this invention contemplates a disc-like freeoating cutting blade or knife having a sharpened sector portion throughwhich the cable to be severed passes. This blade is attached by means ofiingers to a barrel on the periphery of which gears are mounted. A gearrack adapted to engage the peripheral gears of this barrel is attachedto a piston mounted in a cylinder into which uid under high pressure maybe instantaneously introduced. A solenoid-controlled valve is actuatedby an electrical signal through the umbilical cable which triggers theintroduction of uid into the cylinder. This forces the piston forward,rotates the geared barrel and the cutting blade which severs the cable.

Another object and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l shows a naval torpedo in which the invention is located,positioned in a launching tube just prior to launching;

FIGURE 2 is a view showing the subject invention of FIGURE 1 in greaterdetail; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded drawing of the subject device of FIGURE 2showing the component parts and the manner of assembly.

Referring to the drawings and, in particular, to FIG- URE 1, marinetorpedo is positioned in launching tube 12 which is connected by meansof cable 14 to control panel 16. Plug 18, extending through tube 12 isconnected to umbilical cable 2l) which enters torpedo 10 through opening22. The preferred embodiment of this invention 24 is positioned withintorpedo 10 at opening 22. This embodiment is connected by pressuretubing 26 through solenoid-controlled valve 28 to gas bottle 30containing a fluid under high pressure. Solenoid-controlled valve 28 isactuated by solenoid 32 which is electrically connected to the terminalportion of umbilical cable 20 in such a manner that electrical signalsfrom panel 16 through umbilical cable 20 will actuate solenoid 32.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of thisinvention 24 is comprised of mounting base 34 adapted to receive housing36. Geared barrel 38, upon which peripheral gears 70 are mounted, isrotatably positioned about the cylindrical portion of housing 36 in sucha manner that lingers 40 protrude through slots 42 of housing 36. Barrel38 is secured about housing 36 by means of retatining ring 37 whichlocks into slot 39 positioned peripherally on the cylindrical portion ofhousing 36. Removable plug 44 is adapted to tit within housing 36 and issealed therein by means of ring seal 46 positioned circumferentiallyaround removable plug 44.

Umbilical cable 20 passes into opening 48 of removable plug 44 and issealed thereto by means of encircling gland seal 50, gland 52 and glandnut 54 which screws into opening 48. The umbilical cable 20 is thustightly secured to prevent leakage of water into the interior portion ofthe torpedo. The electrical conductors (not shown) of umbilical cable 20are connected to the socket contacts contained within insert 54. SocketS4 is secured within removable plug 44 by means of retaining ring 56.Mating contacts 55 of insert 58 engage those of insert 54 to conductelectrical impulses through the interior portion of the torpedo 10.Insert 58 is positioned within housing 36 and retained therein byretaining ring 60. Ring seals 62, positioned peripherally about insert5S, bear against the internal diameter of housing 36 thus preventingwater leakage within the torpedo. Internal cable 57 (FIGURE l),electrically connected to insert 58, carries electrical impulses to theinterior mechanism of the torpedo.

Cylinder 64 containing piston 66 is secured to base 34 by means of bolts(not shown) extending through mating holes 65 positioned in cylinder 64and base 34. Gear rack 63, attached to rod end 67 of piston 66 isadapted to engage the peripheral gear 70 positioned upon barrel 38 insuch a manner that longitudinal movement of piston 66 will rotate barrel38. Track 71, secured to base 34 by bolts (not shown) in mating holes7S, supports rack 68 in its longitudinal movement. Port on cylinder 64is connected to pressure tubing 26 which conducts high pressure Huid tocylinder 64 to force piston 66 outward.

Fingers 4t), extending through slots 42, engage mating grooves 72 ofcutting blade 74 which is positioned in a free floating manner Withinhousing 36. Cutting blade 74 has a circular disc configuration with amissing sector portion. The sharpened radial edge 73 of the sectorprovides a cutting surface adapted to sever the cable 20 which ispositioned through the missing sector portion. Cover plate 76, attachedto housing 36, secures blade 74 within housing 36 in such a manner thatrotation of barrel 38 will cause fingers 40 to bear against slots 72thus rotating blade 74. Umbilical cable 20 passes through opening 78 ofcover plate 76 through the sector portion of cutting blade 74 intoremovable plug 44 in a manner previously described. Thus as may be seen,rotation of knife 74 urged by barrel 38 causes umbilical cable 20 to besevered by edge 73.

In operation, torpedo 10 is positioned in tube 12 ready for tiring.Umbilical cable 20, connected to control panel 16 by cable 1.4, conductswarm-up current and fire control data to the internal re controlmechanism of the torpedo. When the fire control button (not shown) ofpanel 16 is pressed, it sends an electrical impulse through cable 14 andumbilical cable 20 to solenoid 32 causing it to open solenoid-controlledvalve 28. High pressure fluid in gas bottle 30 then is released throughtubing V26 and port 80 into cylinder 64 causing pis-ton 66 and attachedgear rack 68 to move forward abruptly. Gear rack 68 and engagedperipheral gear 70 urge barrel 38 to rotate. Fingers 40, engaging slots72, force cutting blade 74 to rotate and edge 73 to cut umbilical cable20. Umbilical cable 20 is thus rapidly and effectively severed leavingno outer protnusion on the surface of torpedo 10 which might destroyhydrodynamic prole. The .torpedo 16 is then launched into the Water andproceeds on its course.

Although We have described the invention with a certain degree `ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade by way of example and that numerous changes in detail ofconstruction and the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or the scope Vof thisinvention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

. l. In a marine torpedo having an attached umbilical cable, a cuttingdevice located within said torpedo and sealed from the Water without,comprising in combination: a housing; a geared barrel rotatablyassembled to said housing; a pressure actuated gear means to rotate saidbarrel; a free-floating disc-like knife adapted to be rotated by saidgeared barrel by means of fingers integral with said barrel which engageslots in said knife; a sharpened sector-edge associated with said knife;a solenoid controlled valve connected to said gear means; a source ofhigh pressure fluid connected to` said valve whereby upon Ithe actuationof said valve, said source of high pressure fluid actuates said gearmeans to rotate said knife l. t causing said sector edge to sever saidcable substantially flush with lthe surface of said torpedo.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said selonoidV controlled valveis actuated by a control panel positioned without said torpedo.

3. In a torpedo having;

(a) a hull with a stream-lined exterior surface,

(b) an aperture extending through said surface through Which extends anumbilical cord having a plurality of electrical "conductors,

(c) a movable knife disposed within said hull and closely adjacent theoutside surface of the hull for- References Cited by the Examiner1,143,285 6/15 Koella 83--580 1,915,435 6/33 Miller 89-1 Y 2,580,115l2/51 McFarland 83-580 2,870,676 1/59 Radkowski et al 897-117 BENJAMINA. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

FRED C. MATTERN, JR., CHESTER L. JUSTUVSV,V

Examiners.

1. IN A MARINE TORPEDO HAVING AN ATTACHED UMBILICAL CABLE, A CUTTINGDEVICE LOCATED WITHIN SAID TORPEDO AND SEALED FROM THE WATER WITHOUT,COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A HOUSING; A GEARED BARREL ROTATABLYASSEMBLED TO SAID HOUSING; A PRESSURE ACTUATED GEAR MEANS TO ROTATE SAIDBARREL; A FREE-FLOATING DISC-LIKE KNIFE ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED BY SAIDGEARED BARREL BY MEANS OF FINGERS INTEGRAL WITH SAID BARREL WHICH ENGAGESLOTS IN SAID KNIFE; A SHARP-